rusty wrote:Anyone ever come across a chap called Bruce Allison,went to Cleadon Park school but i think he lived of Park road in those days,Very big for his age and would come to school needing a shave.

I knew him, in fact I've mentioned him on the boards before, but that was
quite a while ago.
I didn't know him as a kid, he was in his mid twenties when I first met him.
He was a professional wrestler at the time, although not a particular good
one. I may be wrong; but I think he died quite a while back. He certainly
had some ego when I knew him.

He mustn't have grown much after leaving school, he wasn't all that tall.
I would describe him as chunky. I used to let him train at our gym once
in a while, he stopped going though because we had some very strong
lads in the club and he didn't like being one of the weaker ones there, he
wasn't a hard trainer.

I knew him through a lad called John Graham who he was friends with. I seem to remember him joining the army at one stage and inviting everyone to a farewell party. Don't think he lasted long though. He fancied himself a bit and like Baldy says he was a short stocky guy. He died some time ago.
A guy called John Gaffney writes a column in the Shields Gazette about times gone by and sometimes mentions him.

If i stretch my brain cells i think Bruce was a year ahead of me at school,John Graham was mentioned now i was in his class at school.What i know of john was ne was very good at art,left school got a job at Reyrolls in the drafting office,later went to sea in oiltankers. Other lads in the group where Colin White,Nobby(robert) Kinghorn,billie May.Colin White joined the Police ,Nobby Kinghorn worked in one of the ship yards.Last time i sawJohn was in the Pub at the top of the Ridgeway ?

I knew the late Colin White very well, met him when he was in the police force, he
used to come into the little shop where I worked for a cup of tea, he would come
in several times during his shift. I later went on to help him in the Boys Brigade, I
used to take a class doing weight training.
Unless I am very much mistaken, Bruce was Allisons middle name, I believe his
first name was Donald, so I can understand him using Bruce instead. If I am right
then he was a fair bit above you at school, being born in 1934.

Delilahcat wrote:A guy called John Gaffney writes a column in the Shields Gazette about times gone by and sometimes mentions him.

Was Bruce Allison a singer? If so John Gaffney has written about him and also a couple of photos of him have appeared on John's column in the Gazette. I have copies of them but they are not too good, but the Gazette may have better copies.
comeonthen

As well as writing about singers John Gaffney also writes about Shields and verious people he knew in his youth.Many were well known characters ...people like Fazal Deen. I think Bruce falls into this category.

Fazal Deen was a well known person in Shields.Fancied himself as a bit of a tough guy and ladies man. He had a brother called Miah Deen so that might be who you are thinking of, Baldy. They were half Pakistani. A popular story has Fazal saying his dad was a Pakistani and his mother was Scottish whereupon someone called him a Pac -a-mac.

an old neighbour of mine had a fight with all that clan
as you say cat he thought he was a tough guy
but my neighbour put 2 of them through a plate glass window in ocean rd
years ago
miah deen hung himself a few years ago
i grew up with his sone david

My brother, despite his small stature had a huge reputation for being a hard case,
but he never looked for trouble or got involved with anything which led to the
police getting involved. Quite a few so called hard cases showed him great respect,
and a lot of the known troublemakers of the time; kept well out of his way.
These days he keeps well away from any sort of agro, getting old makes you
think differently and you realise the folly of getting involved.
Jarrow Pete can confirm my brothers reputation.